Luftwaffe belt & buckler, H. Aurich, Dresden

[Fiore]

Hello all,

Here we have the one that started it all - my very first piece of TR militaria, handed down from my grandfather to my father to me - a Luftwaffe EM/NCO belt and buckle. And I have some questions about it that I know you fine gentlemen will be able to help me with!

Now, the leather tab attached to the buckle itself is marked with a very faded H. A***CH DR****N, which of course can only be H. Aurich, Dresden. However, something I noticed for the very first time today while taking these photos is a definite 'DH' to the rear of the buckle itself, visible quite clearly in the fifth photo below. What might this stand for?

The belt is marked 'Ohmann Werke A, Bielefeld, 1942', and the buckle-catch is stamped with a faint 'D&O'. I also see this 'D&O' on a recent Heer buckle I acquired.

I have no idea where my grandfather got this belt and buckle from, but he was apparently RAF ground-crew in Britain during the war, and my father always said he 'took it off a dead pilot'. I'm not sure pilots wore such a belt, but there you go - family stories, eh?

Enjoy, and thank you for your comments and opinions.









Rear of buckle marked 'DH':

[Ben Evans]

Nice been there belt and buckle, the buckle is by H Aurich, Dresden, the tab appears to have been removed and put back on the wrong way around. The Belt is is more that likely D&C for Dransfeld & Co Menden, overall a nice been there belt and buckle

[Fiore]

So the belt, catch and buckle are all by separate makers? I suppose that was normal enough. Do you have any idea about the 'DH' to the rear of the buckle?

[Ben Evans]

DH or DA is the Aurich logo. Quite common for belts and catches (metal work) to be separate makers

[Fiore]

That's great, thank you! I've always wanted to know more about this little family heirloom.